What is the most effective way of building up Russian units. I've been setting all my mech units to refit and setting then on a rail head close to their HQs. If there is any other way, any suggestions would be helpful. Also, on holding the lower Dnieper, should fortify those units?

If your talking 1941, don't bother with the mech units, they will get reorganized anyways. Otherwise, you have the right idea- put a unit on a railroad hex (I dont think it matters much if its close to their HQ)- just make sure its more than 10 hexes away from any German units so you will not only gain troops but moral. Moral gained by refit tops off at 50-51 in 1941. I'm sure it increases each year just dont know the exact numbers.

Other, more expert players have stated there is only 1 hex on the map they would put a fortification unit in, and that is the "backdoor" Leningrad hex (its like 2 hexes east of Leningrad), due to the excessive AP costs.

Again, assuming 1941, as AFV suggests, it is best not to bother with the Mechanised Corp units - the motorised diivisions will convert to rifle divisions and the tank divisions to tank brigades automatically before the mud period. Some even recommend you disband these units early to save the tanks for later in the case of the tank divisions, and to get back badly needed trucks from the motorised divisions. Even if you don't go as far as that I'd recommend never putting the motorised divisions into refit - you can't afford to waste the trucks early on, and by the time you can, these divisions will be converting to regular rifle divisions anyway.

Regarding the Dnieper defence I would argue that if you can hold that line through 1941, you're playing on too easy a setting. Don't lose sleep over the colapse of this defence line, it should at best be a temporary barrier to the German advance. If the Germans can't crack it in 1941 you'll just end up with a short, unsatisfying campaign that will end in Russian victory in 1943, or mid '44 at the latest. Against the AI, the Germans will simply sulk on the west bank of the river for the rest of the game, until you decide to take the initiative and kick them all the way back to Berlin.

ORIGINAL: Disciple ...Regarding the Dnieper defence I would argue that if you can hold that line through 1941, you're playing on too easy a setting. Don't lose sleep over the colapse of this defence line, it should at best be a temporary barrier to the German advance. If the Germans can't crack it in 1941 you'll just end up with a short, unsatisfying campaign that will end in Russian victory in 1943, or mid '44 at the latest. Against the AI, the Germans will simply sulk on the west bank of the river for the rest of the game, until you decide to take the initiative and kick them all the way back to Berlin.

Disciple, thanks for this little tidbit of advice.

I was playing a GC as the Russians on Normal difficulty and I was quite proud that I was able to defend the Dnieper, Leningrad, and Smolensk. Then the AI did just what you said: they sulked behind river and never launched any serious action against me. This allowed me to build up a massively strong line by November. I started launching minor counterattacks, to which the Axis responded by pulling back. It was the start of the end for them.

As you said, if I am going to invest dozens (hundreds?) of hours on a GC, I want it to be interesting. So I started over on Challenging difficulty and boy am I happy I did. The new AI rushed the Dnieper and crossed it by turn 2. It is kicking me in the teeth around Smolensk and it is aggressively pushing towards Bryansk and Leningrad. I don't know if I can hold and my replacements can't arrive fast enough. Needless to say, the Challenging AI is a vast improvement to the Normal AI and this has made the game much more interesting (albeit a lot more stressful). From my experience, I suggest that the GC be played on Challenging at a minimum as you will have a better experience. The AI is simply more aggressive and it is a lot more fun.

[From my experience, I suggest that the GC be played on Challenging at a minimum as you will have a better experience. The AI is simply more aggressive and it is a lot more fun.

Cheers, Jason

I was about to ask a question on this forum about the AI on higher settings; would it just be harder to win battles, or would the AI react in different (more aggressive) ways? Your reply answered it; you get a whole new experience on higher settings. (I like the more stressful part) Thanks.

I was about to ask a question on this forum about the AI on higher settings; would it just be harder to win battles, or would the AI react in different (more aggressive) ways? Your reply answered it; you get a whole new experience on higher settings. (I like the more stressful part) Thanks.

It's kind of both. By increasing the morale level of the AI you will increase the CV of the AI's units. This means the AI will get the base odds it requires to consider an attack worth while more often. Thus the AI appears more aggressive (it isn't really, it just gets better odds so attacks more). It will also make it harder to attack the AI because it has higher CV units.

If you increase the AI's logistics level then it's units will not suffer such a reduction in CV due to the length of the supply lines. For the German AI this makes a big difference in the 1941 campaign - you will notice the German AI has much more staying power over the course of Operation Barbarossa, and won't be so inclinned to pause it's advance while it waits for resupply.

With the new 1.06 update I was inspired to try a new 1941-45 campaign as the Russians against the German AI. I typically use AI settings of 110 for the AI and standard 100 for my own (all settings). However, I've always managed to stalemate the Germans by blizzard in previous versions so I tried it using the following boosted AI rates: Morale 125, Fort 100, Logistics 125, Transport 120, Admin 120. The result was a humiliating defeat. I conceded on turn 5 with the Germans about to take Moscow, Leningrad and fast approaching the Caucasus. I don't know how much difference the 1.06 update had, it may have been entrely down to the high AI settings I used that led to my crushing defeat. I restarted and used the same settings except Morale was reduced to 120 and Logistics to 110. I've now reached April 1942 and the game has turned out uncannily like real history, and been by far the most enjoyable I've had against the German AI. If the German AI doesn't become moribund in the summer I may even post the campaign AAR.

It helps to understand the impact on game play for each setting and also realize it is going to be different for each side.

For instance, in setting German moral very high, instead of having a small pool of elite moral (85+), much of the German army will become elite moral. That means the Germans are much more capable of advancing in enemy territory and will suffer less of a meaningful impact to their moral as a result of the blizzard. (Many units will remain at elite moral while others will still be good instead of just ok).

For the Russians, careful of what you do with I believe the logistics. If you set it at 110 and up, the Russians will have unlimited admin points with all the implications that it means. Essentially you can wipe out whatever you want and the Russians will just construct a ton of shell units. While this can be actually detrimental to the Russian position (especially if you have been doing well with capturing manpower centers), it can also be nasty for the Germans as well since when rifle corps become available, the Russians can form as many as they wish.